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| The Poster for the premiere production |
The opera was an adaptation of the novel "La Loba Negra" which was falsely attributed to Fr. Jose Burgos. It is a part true story and part fiction. The first acts deals with the story of Governor General Fernando Bustamante, his imprisonment of several corrupt political and church officials, and his assassination (which actually happened), while the final act deals with his wife, Luisa's revenge against the friars by slaughtering them (which is fiction).
The music, which was written by Francisco Feliciano, was quite reminiscent of Wagner and some expressionist composers. This expressionist and sometimes romantic style, with its dense and great orchestration for large orchestra perfectly describes the intensity and horrors portrayed on the oepra.
The libretto was written by Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, a soprano who has also sung the lead role in the opera. The verses doesn't rhyme, like Wagner's operas, which I like since in my opinion it feels more "human" and more normal than rhymed verses. I haven't read the original novel yet, so I can't say of the accuracy of this adaptation.
